Existing cellular telephones in the mass mobile radiotelephone marketplace contain numerous programmable parameters which define how the cellular telephones operate. Such parameters include, but are not limited to, the telephone number or mobile identification number (MID) assigned to the cellular telephone, the system identification number (SID) of the cellular system to which the user subscribes, and numerous optional features of the cellular telephone. Such programmable parameters are well known to those skilled in the art and are not described in detail herein. However, the following instruction manual, which is incorporated herein by reference, provides additional information concerning the definition and operation of existing cellular telephones:
"Dyna T*A*C Cellular Mobile Telephone,"
Instruction Manual No. 68P81066E40-C, 1985,
Motorola Technical Writing Services, 1301 E.
Algonquin Rd., Schaumburg Ill. 60196.
When a customer initially subscribes to a cellular service or later decides to modify his or her cellular telephone's operation, such parameters are programmed into the phone. Some models of cellular telephones permit limited programming of such parameters through the telephone's handset. However, the programming of a cellular telephone is an exacting, and error prone process, and mass market customers are discouraged from doing such programming themselves. Rather, programming machines or consoles may be provided at customer service and sales facilities. Such consoles easily program cellular telephones in an error-free manner.
However, the existing console systems for managing the programmability of cellular telephones have many undesirable consequences. As a practical matter, customers must physically take their cellular telephones to locations having consoles in order for the consoles to perform certain operations, such as diagnostics or feature upgrading, related to the programming of the customers' cellular telephones. This requirement places a burden on the customers by forcing them to use extensive amounts of their time and resources in order to receive such operational service.
Likewise, this physical telephone access requirement places a burden on providers of and sales offices for cellular services by requiring them to provide and maintain consoles compatible with numerous types of cellular telephones. In addition, personnel must be technically capable of operating the consoles and of performing at least low level diagnostics. As a result, mass marketing outlets, such as major retail stores, have typically failed to serve as effective distributors of cellular telephones.
Furthermore, en masse programming modifications for all customers or clients of a cellular service provider (for example, to change features) are impractical with existing cellular telephones due to the extensive burden such en masse modifications would collectively place on the clients. Such en masse programming modifications would currently require all clients to undergo the burden of taking their cellular telephones to a service facility in order to receive new programming. However, en masse programming modifications would be highly desirable in order to reflect changes in "roaming" contractual arrangements made with cellular service providers in certain areas.
Another business advantage of the present system is that it enables different sets of telephone features to be made available to different sets of customers. In particular, it enables the service provider to move individual customers from one class of service (i.e. a 10 feature package) to another class of service (i.e. a 20 feature package) without the customer being required to return to an agent site.
Furthermore, a cellular service provider faces fierce competition in getting and keeping its customers. Cellular service providers realize that up-to-date information concerning their customers and client cellular telephones is of vital importance in getting and keeping the customers while still making a profit. In addition, this fierce competition occasionally motivates third party agents to engage in fraud and other forms of abuse with respect to customer lists and cellular telephone programming. Current information about cellular telephone configurations and customer bases would serve as a useful investigation tool in policing the activities of such third party agents. However, existing cellular telephones have no features which easily allow a cellular service provider to obtain current information about customers or their cellular telephones.
Remotely programmable cellular telephones have been designed for use in connection with public transportation. Such telephones operate as credit-card cellular payphones. However, major differences exist between a credit-card network and the mass mobile radiotelephone marketplace. For example, in a credit-card cellular payphone telephone, programmability is limited to those features which are necessary for the operation of the payphone network. In addition, such credit-card phones form only a small network in which the payphone service providers can exercise a large amount of control. The nature of a small network and the extensive control exercised therein permit such credit-card phones to virtually ignore data security and tampering problems which are present in connection with mass markets over which little control can be exercised. In addition, from a user's perspective such credit-card phones are currently dedicated to the transmission of voice and are not designed to transmit user data, such as from a user's facsimile machine or computer. Consequently, remote programmability instruction data need not be distinguished from user data.
In addition, various limited-purpose systems, such as emergency call box systems, security systems, and the like, incorporate cellular telephones as part of the systems. Such systems occasionally permit a system administrator to alter system operation. However, such systems typically use conventional cellular telecommunication components to link a remote controller to the administrator. Consequently, the cellular telecommunication components need not interpret signals being transported therethrough to differentiate between different types of signals. Rather, the cellular telecommunication components simply operate in a conventional manner and the remote controller is specifically designed to serve the limited-purpose application to which the system is dedicated.